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Monday, October 15, 2007

Two Years and a Lot of Doubly Delicious Recipes with Vegetables and Herbs: The Recap

We've reached the end of our week of celebrating the Doubly Delicious Two Year Anniversary of Weekend Herb Blogging. People have voted for their favorite vegetable and favorite herb, and one lucky blogger has won two great cookbooks. But before I give you details about both those events, there are people to thank, and a whole lot of great recipes to share.

What a great week of herb blogging it's been! So many friends have shown up with delicious veggie and herb dishes, as well as some new people joining the fun. I've been misty-eyed more than a few times at some of the nice things you guys have written about me, and extremely gratified that other people love learning about herbs, plants, vegetables, and flowers as much as I do. The quality of the entries for this event is something that astonishes me every week, but this week they were really over-the-top outstanding. I am completely aware that it's the wonderful entries written by so many great bloggers that makes WHB a success, and you all deserve credit for what we've been able to create together. Thanks to everyone who participated, either by predicting the winners, voting for your favorites, or sending one of the sixty-eight entries featuring vegetables and herbs.

At Blog From Our Kitchen, Elizabeth first made this recipe for Quiche, and then when she realized there were special rules for this week, she good-naturedly wrote a second post! Even though I would have let her slide with the quiche, I loved the sound of Pepper Squash and Sage Lasagne, so I was so happy she did a second post (and isn't everything happening in twos anyway?) For those who don't know, pepper squash is called acorn squash in the U.S. and this combination of winter squash, sage, and lasagne made with fresh pasta sounds like a total winner.

Artichokes

The Chocolate Lady from In Mol Araan has found herself with an abundance of artichokes, at a time when they might not be in season. Since she loves artichokes, she's happy, and promptly makes some Artichokes with Dill Vinaigrette for our celebration. This post has some great tips for preparing and cooking artichokes, as well as links to some other great-sounding artichoke recipes.

Arugula

Although it had yellow pear tomatoes and basil, what caught my eye on the Greens and Yellow Pizza made by Genie at The Inadvertent Gardener was the arugula, an ingredient Genie combined with fresh mozarella for this pizza! Love tomatoes, love arugula, love basil, love fresh mozarella! I think I love this pizza.

Bell Peppers
Although there are other tastes going on here like tomatoes, scallions, garlic, and (sigh) cilantro, I decided that it wouldn't be Susan's Fiesta Cottage Cheese Veggie Dip with out the red bell peppers, so that's what landed this great sounding recipe from Farmgirl Fare in the peppers section. Not only is she great fun to compare gardening stories with, but Susan was one of the very first participants; check out her oregano for Weekend Herb Blogging #4.

Another dish I made a judgement call and decided should be immortalized under bell peppers is KayKat's Best Veggie Fajitas Ever from Cooking From A to Z. This post has so many great recipes, the fajita veggies, a marinade, guacamole, salsa, and even a delightful sounding rice; be sure not to miss it!

Broccoli
An interesting soup with a Thai flavor and a delectable collection of aromatics as well as broccoli, baby corn, carrots, mushrooms, tofu, and (hooray!) cilantro is the Veg Tom Kha Gai from Fun and Food. Mansi also includes a link to some info about galangal, an herb we haven't seem much of on WHB, don't miss it!

The dedication of some of the WHB regulars is truly touching. Ulrike at Kuchenlatein is starting a kitchen renovation this week, but she still managed to create Spagetti with Thyme-Flavored Carrot Pesto so she wouldn't miss out on the celebration. Sounds just fantastic too!

I was so excited to get an entry from Lima, Peru, from brand new herb blogger Gretchen of Canela y Comino (and I immediately added her blog to my rss reader so I can learn more about Peruvian food!) I made another judgement call here to include this recipe for Peruvian Cilantro Stew with carrots, because there are also peas, meat, cilantro, onions, cumin and aji amarillo peppers, which I hadn't heard of before. (See, I've learned something already!)

From Intoxicated Zodiac, a very unique blog which combines cocktails and astrology in a charming way, comes a drink called The Carrot Top. Perfect for Virgo, this drink combines carrot juice, and Herb's Dill Vodka, plus a bit of lime juice and ginger ale. Hooray for a doubly delicious drink entry!

Since she's know for her vegetable recipes, this party is a natural for Alanna from A Veggie Venture, but this time the recipe is from her food column Kitchen Parade, where she shares tried-and-true recipes that are always wonderful. Alanna's doubly delicious combo is Cauliflower Risotto, which also features leeks and a touch of oregano, and Alanna says she loves to make this when she's visiting friends.

Another great-sounding cauliflower dish, this one from the adorable Pille of Nami Nami, who's adapted a version of a traditional Estonian dish, how great is that! I love recipes that fall in the category of comfort food, and this Cheesy Cauliflower and Mince Gratin with Dill sounds like it would be so delicious.

Chile Peppers
A very unique and interesting entry that features chile peppers comes from Chicajo at 80 Breakfasts who made Raisin Stuffed Chili Pepper Pickles. Joey grew her own sage and thyme to flavor these interesting pickles, and we're looking forward to hearing how they taste when they're ready in a few weeks.

This recipe for Peppery Shrimp with Cilantro Coconut Sauce from Janelle at Talk of Tomatoes is a double winner for me. Not only is the shrimp marinated before grilling in a blend that includes cilantro, but there's more cilantro in the sauce, plus chile peppers, onions, mango, and lime. I filed this under chile peppers because there's a lot of peppery action here!

Corn

A delightful sounding soup entry came from Lisa's Kitchen whose version of Corn and Roast Pepper Soup has so many exciting flavor elements, I'd love to try some. If you're thinking, ordinary corn soup, check out this recipe; there's nothing ordinary about it.

The Haddock, and Prawn Stew with Saffron from Joanna at Joanna's Food has potatoes, but she says it's the fresh corn and the saffron that really make the difference in this dish. This is one of the healthy dishes Joanna is famous for, and ready in less than 30 minutes as well!

I was delighted to get an entry from Lydia at The Perfect Pantry, since she says she never enters events because she doesn't do food photography. You'll wonder why not when you see her great photo of the Tzatziki Sauce with parsley in the starring role. There are also some great photos her of Lydia's lovely herb garden; don't miss it.

Tanna from My Kitchen in Half Cups has been traveling for weeks, so I didn't expect to hear from her since I knew she was just getting home on Sunday. Imagine my surprise when she not only managed to join the fun, but also used one of my recipes for Spicy Cucumber Salad with Basil and Sesame Seeds. Tanna says that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, and believe me I'm truly flattered if a good cook like her would use my recipe!

Dried Beans and Lentils
I love wonderfully complex soups with lots of flavors, and the Pasta e Fagioli from The Houndstooth Gourmet sounds just fantastic. Besides the Canneloni beans, there is onion, shallots, spinach, basil, oregano, and thyme, to name just a few of the things adding to the flavor quotient here.

Eggplant
I've been a bit infatuated with eggplant this summer so it's no surprise that I'd really get excited over the Spicy Eggplant Relish from Desie at Maybahay. There are so many interesting flavors going on here like peppers, ginger, garlic, mint, and cilantro, that I have no doubt that this would taste amazing.

More delicious eggplant from Burcu at Almost Turkish Recipes, who makes such unusual and delicious sounding dishes every week. This time Burcu has created Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplant, with the eggplant cut in fourths lengthwise, the onion/pepper/tomato/parsley filling placed inside, and then the eggplant is cooked in olive oil. Don't miss Burcu's description of how this dish got it's Turkish name when you go check out the recipe!

This dish also has tomatoes and peppers, but it was the roasted eggplant that got my attention in the Roasted Veggie Pasta Pie from Passionate About Baking. Penne pasta, roasted vegetables, two sauces, and a tasty looking bread crumb topping make this dish a hit with kids and adults alike.

Leafy Greens
Anna from Anna's Cool Finds creates a very interesting dish when she's faced with a group of dinner guests with various dietary needs. Not only does the chicken in Anna's Poached Ginger Chicken Make Your Own Salad sound just delicious to me, but Anna has some of my favorites as salad options like arugula, red leaf lettuce, edamame, and mint.

Lemon
A delicious sounding dish from Mike at Mike's Table reminds me of something I used to love eating at a French restaurant where I worked in college. Mike's version of Chicken Francaise has lemon, capers, garlic, parsley, basil, and oregano, and I'll definitely be trying this recipe.

Mangetout
Wendy from A Wee Bit of Cooking has made a fantastic Tom Yum(ish) Soup to devour before she goes off on holiday. With all the aromatics that make this type of Thai soup so delicious, plus mangetout (snow peas), spinach, spring onions, and coriander leaf, this sounds like a complete winner.

Onion
Personally I believe that you can't make salsa without onion, so that's why I'm putting the Gingered Pineapple and Grapefruit Salsa from Tami at Running with Tweezers into this category, although there are so many good flavors going on here. Did I mention the crystallized ginger, and of course cilantro is one of the things that makes this recipe a winner for me.

Okra

Kalva at Curry in Kadai is a new blogger, but she does know a lot about cooking okra, something I like but haven't ever cooked, even once. Check her recipe for Spicy Okra Curry with Mint which sounds like it would taste wonderful.

Palm

Anna from Morsels and Musings is one of the most adventurous cooks I know, and I just adore the way she loves to try things from all over the world and share the results on her blog. This time Anna has tackled Moqueca, a dish from the north-eastern Brazilian province of Bahia. Not only does she share the recipe and wonderful photos of Moqueca de Peixe or Fish with Dende Oil and Coconut, but there is fascinating information here about the pros and cons of palm oil, a traditional flavoring for this dish.

Potatoes

There's no doubt that Haalo at Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once is campaigning hard for the potato to be the favorite vegetable, and if you check out her stunning photos of past potato dishes, I think you will agree that Haalo may be able to sway a few votes. Currently she is visiting Italy, living in an apartment with no oven, but no problem for talented Haalo, she hosted WHB away from home last week, and for the anniversary she made Pan-Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic that look completely heavenly.

Another of my favorite herb bloggers using potatoes is Sher from What Did You Eat. I guess it's more than a year now that I've been joking that we have the same tastebuds, and once again she has created something that looks fantastic to me. Of course, there is cilantro (go Sher!) but Potato Fritters with Sweet Pepper Relish also have red and yellow bell pepper, scallions, onions,and jalapenos, and they look amazing in Sher's great photos.

Erin at Skinny Gourmet has created the ultimate in comfort food, and when she tested it on her husband he wanted to be sure she had written down the recipe. There is a special ingredient in Erin's version of Baked Potato Soup, and her garnish of tiny green onions is the perfect accent.

A slightly different take on potatoes is the Rosemary Roasted Blue Potatoes from Susan at The Well-Seasoned Cook. Potatoes and rosemary are classic together, but I did say *blue* potatoes, and these potatoes are truly striking, in Susan's great photos. (Susan's also the host for next week's edition of Weekend Herb Blogging, when I'm guessing she might be getting a few new first-time participants. You can find out how to send her your entry on the who's hosting page.)

If you're in need of comfort, the Potato Gratin with Sage from Sue at Coffee and Cornbread sounds like the ultimate comfort food to me. Sue says there's nothing better when it gets cold than good smells coming from the oven, and I'll bet this smells divine.

I do hope I'm putting this entry in the right category, but I believe that most vodka is made from potatoes, and Neil from At Our Table is buying drinks for everyone, along with a wish for Zapraszamy Do Zabawy, or Welcome to the Party in Polish. The spirit Neil is offering is the most unusual Zubrowka or Bison Grass Vodka, seasoned with bison grass of course, which makes it herbaceously delicious, and perfect for our celebration.

The Pumpkin and Red Lentil Curry from Jennifer at Like to Cook really sounded delicious to me, even before I saw the addition of cilantro. Many parts of the world use the word pumpkin to describe all types of winter squash, and I'm not actually sure what the U.S. name would be for the type of squash pictured here, so pumpkin it is!

Spagetti Squash
I know that Chris from Mele Cotte has had a really busy schedule this year with her new responsibilities, so I'm honored that she managed to squeeze in the Weekend Herb Blogging celebration. Chris shares several variations of spagetti squash, but the Veggie Spagetti with baby bella mushrooms, spinach, parsley, and parmesan was the one I'll be making first!

Amy from Nook and Pantry is also featuring Spagetti Squash in her entry, but it's prepared in a very unusual way. Amy learned to make Spagetti Squash with Green Onions from her father, who learned it from his grandmother, so it's now a tradition. The spagetti squash is lightly steamed, then chilled so it's crisp, then combined with sauteed green onions and sesame oil. I must try this dish!

A very creative use of spinach comes from a blog I just adore, Indian Food Rocks. Manisha's entry of Spinach Toasts is an appetizer with spinach, garlic, onions, chiles, mint, and walnuts, mixed with yogurt and served on toast.

Taro Stems
You can count on Anh from Food Lover's Journey to have a unique and beautifully photographed entry for the WHB anniversary, and her Fish Noodle Soup with Taro Stems, Tamarind,and Purple Perilla sounds delicious and wonderfully unusual to me. Also bonus points to Anh for coming up with a recipe using two ingredients I haven't heard of, not easy at all after two years of vegetable and herb recipes being featured!

Tomatillo
Toni from Daily Bread Journal decided fall was the perfect time to try a recipe for Pork and Tomatillo Stew. Besides the distinctive flavor of tomatillos, there is also onion, chile, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cilantro here, making this a very flavorful dish.

If I ever make it to London, one blogger I must meet is Jeanne of Cook Sister, whose blog was one of the first food blogs I remember seeing! For the WHB celebration Jeanne has made Sun-Dried Tomato, Basil, and Mozarella Chicken Breasts; don't you think that sounds divine! (And do check out her whimsical book titles too, quite charming.)

Zorra of Kochtopf says this is the summer of tomatoes and basil for her, and I thought to myself, what could be better! She has combined them delightfully with grilled eggplant in a dish she's calling Pasta Veraniega or Summer Pasta, and it sounds like a perfect combination.

A very unique tomato creation is the Rosemary Shrimps on Tomato Sorbet from Gattina at Kitchen Unplugged. Talented cook Gattina describes the sorbet as being like "frozen Gazpacho", so appropriate since she's now living in Spain. She used half roasted and half fresh tomatoes in the sorbet, and her photos are delightful.

A delicious combination of classic ingredients can be found in the Sundried Tomato Oregano Pasta which comes from Sarah at Cucina Bella. Sarah reports that tomatoes are nearly out of season in the Northeast where she lives, but with sundried tomatoes, you can make this all winter long.

Yu Choi
This entry personifies why I love Weekend Herb Blogging so much, because I'd never heard of the Asian greens called Yu Choi featured in the entry from The Kittalog. When I did some research on Yu Choi, I found it's related to Bok Choy, but the photos reminded me a lot of broccoli rabe. I loved the sound of Kitt's recipe for Garlic Yu Choi with Pasta, such a great combination.

Zucchini
Simona of Briciole is traveling in Italy, so I'm very touched that she still managed to send an entry for the celebration. She is sharing how she makes Zucchine a Modo Mio or Zucchini My Way, starring fresh marjoram, but don't miss seeing the interesting zucchini variety Simona found at the market in Palermo which is also pictured in this entry.

Sophie at Mostly Eating has made an entire dinner for our party, and she's got vegetables, herbs, and fruit in her menu of Pork with Poached Quince and a Courgette Pilaf. I confessed to her that I've never seen or eaten quince, but I'd love to try it, along with everything else she's cooking for this dinner.

Now for the Voting Results and Contest Winner!

What amazed me most about the voting results was what variety there was in the choices people made for favorite vegetable and favorite herb. I'm going to give you the first, second, and third place winners, but check out the poll results if you want to see how your own favorite fared. I'm not shutting the polls down, so people can continue to vote for fun if they want to, but here are the official results:

There were 13 people who correctly guessed that tomatoes and basil would be the favorite vegetable and favorite herb. I put the names in a hat and the cookbook winner was Dhana from Fresh Kitchen! I haven't told her yet that she won, so why doesn't everyone go leave a comment and make her day! (Edit: Dhana has created a recipe in honor of the two winning ingredients! Isn't that a fun idea._

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Wow! I repeat, WOW! What an impressive line-up of recipes! Is it just me or does it seem like the recipes are all getting more interesting, creative, awe-inspring and delicious....maybe Doubly Delicious..... hmmmmI'l go back to reading now...

Congratulations on two wonderful years of veggies and herbs galore! I tried making an experimental acorn squash dish for this event, but it failed quite badly :( so I missed out on all the fun :D Oh well, this round-up has done much to cheer me up.

What a great looking recap, Kalyn!! I've only just started to look at all the wonderful entries but I already know that there will be several new recipes to try.

Many thanks again for this event.

-Elizabeth

P.S. It appears that there are not many people in Canada who call acorn squashes "pepper" squashes. I'm beginning to think I might be the only one in my family who does. Even my husband calls it an acorn squash!

An exceptionally thoughtful round-up, Kalyn. You certainly have earned the popular and respected reputation you hold among the food community. Thanks for all the hard work, care and craft that you've launched and nurtured these last two years.

Fabulous birthday celebration, Kalyn, must have taken you hours .. Thank you for all the work you've done all this time.

And your post about hosting an event - it's really useful, really beautiful. It's not about the links, it IS about sharing information - that's what you've been doing all this time, in ways that are not always visible to all bloggers.

There is sooo many great entries that I did not go through half yet. I'm a little bit jealous as I tried to post something for this event and because I got disconected from internet on Wednesday I could not do it. I tried from my laptop on some internet from the air but Wordpress refused to work. Anyway, I will post my recipe at next occasion.

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. And as Tanna said, a rest is in order, so I've been taking one today and tomorrow I'm also taking a day off from the blog. (Not from school though, unfortunately!)

This, my friend, is a keeper. I love how you've organized all the recipes by vegetable, and what a bountiful array of recipes it is! Happy two year anniversary to your amazing and instructive food-blogging event! I'm off to the farmers' market on Wednesday so I can start making some of these delicious dishes!

Wonderful, wonderful roundup, Kalyn. What a great collection of recipes and bloggers to celebrate the ending of year 2 of WHB. You did a great job. In fact you continue to amaze me - this has got to be hard work! I hope you get some well-deserved rest.I've met so many bloggers here and added them to my rss reader. It will take me a week to get through all these wonderful posts.

Holy Moly! This is some round up! I am with Joey - definitely a great bookmark.

Kalyn, you were one of, if not the first blog I came across when I began last year. You and "Kalyn's Kitchen" have been an inspiration. Thanks for all you great posts, your emails, advice, and well wishes. You are not only a teacher of lil' ones, but us grown folk as well! :)

I'm so happy you're taking the time to comment on Kalyn's Kitchen! I love hearing from people who stop by, especially if you're sharing feedback or asking questions about a recipe I've posted here.

I've recently changed my comment settings so people can comment without signing in, but you will need to check the box to show you're a live person, and comments on older posts won't show up until I publish them. Thanks for understanding!

Food Blogger Love!

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